Luck of the Draw
by Krilyn
Summary: On a 24 hour pass from the ZAFT military academy, Athrun and Nicol stop at a local bar for an innocent game of cards. A slip of the tongue, however, suddenly leaves their lives hanging on the flip of a card.
1. All in the Cards

Hi Everyone!

Here's another story! This one will be short but fun (I think). I've already finished writing it so I'll be updating pretty quickly. Please review… it's nice to hear back from people who read my work.

Note: This story takes place while Athrun and the other ZAFT soldiers are at the military academy.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. Lou and Li belong to me though.**

**Luck of the Draw**

**Chapter #1 All In the Cards**

"Nicol, that was entirely too easy," Athrun Zala laughed lightly as he threw down his winning hand of cards.

Across the table from Athrun, Nicol Amalfi put his hand over his face and groaned theatrically. "Athrun, you said you'd be nice to me and let me win," Nicol complained. "And I still lost!"

Still smiling, Athrun replied, "Nicol, I _was_ nice to you! It's not my fault that I'm the best card player in the ZAFT military!" They both laughed and Athrun stretched out to collect his fifty cents of winnings. "How about I buy you another ice tea with the money I've won?" He ducked, laughing, as his friend swung a mock punch at him.

"If you're the best card player in town, then I'll play you, soldier boy," a quiet voice declared from behind Athrun.

Not turning, Athrun shook his head. "No thanks, Sir. I'm not playing any more hands tonight. I don't want to wear my luck out." He and Nicol both chuckled again, then Nicol glanced at the man standing behind Athrun and the smile immediately drained from his face. There was something about the stranger that made his blood run cold.

"I'm not asking soldier boy," the stranger added.

Athrun suddenly felt something sharp pricking into the back of his shoulder and knew that he was in trouble. A hand lifted his gun from his belt and Athrun, looking across the table at Nicol's white face, heard the sudden silence in the bar behind him. "You will play cards with me, boy." The pressure on the knife blade relented and Athrun sighed slightly in relief, while tensing his muscles to make a break for it.

Suddenly, the knife appeared against his throat and Nicol rose from his seat to allow the stranger to sit down. Very slowly, Athrun turned his head to see who was holding the knife. The man standing behind him gave Athrun a wolfish smile. He was so similar in looks to the stranger now sitting across from Athrun that Athrun knew they were brothers. Two other men stood leaning against the bar, guns dangling in their hands. The few patrons who had been in the bar had gone. The only other person there, apart from Nicol, was Mr. Miru, the bar tender.

"These are the stakes, boy," the stranger announced, dragging Athrun's attention back to him. "We'll play cards and if you win, I'll let your friends go. If you win again, I'll let you go. But if you lose…" He grinned unpleasantly. "You'll all die."

Gazing at the stranger sitting across the table from him, Athrun wondered how a harmless afternoon of fun with his friend could have gone so wrong. The two of them had been given a twenty-four hour pass from their commander at the ZAFT military academy and had taken the opportunity to head downtown. It was a mid-week afternoon, when the bar was usually quieter, and Athrun and Nicol could have their fun game of cards without bothering the other men, who were also usually ZAFT soldiers, who wanted to play seriously. Yet suddenly, a careless, throwaway remark, made in jest, had his life, and the lives of two other people, hanging in the balance.

Swallowing, Athrun forced himself to meet the man's eyes with confidence. Athrun had his share of luck with the cards, but he was in no way a card shark. He didn't keep track of which cards appeared and when he won, it was sheer luck. Nicol was a dreadful card player and the only person he would play against was Athrun, knowing perfectly well that he was going to lose, even before the first card was dealt from the pack. Neither of them were a patch on the two other young recruits they shared there quarters with and after loosing his first 25 dollars, Athrun had vowed to never play against Dearka nor Yzak again.

"Get your money on the table, soldier boy," the stranger ordered.

"I don't have much money," Athrun protested, truthfully. He had about five dollars in total and he knew that this man would want to play for more than just their lives. In fact, Athrun was absolutely sure that they would all die regardless of whether he won or lost at cards. His agile mind raced to try and find some way out of their predicament, but he couldn't see any hope.

"Put it on the table," the stranger growled and the knife, which had moved away from Athrun's throat, moved back and the point eased into his skin. The sharp pain reminded Athrun that he was helpless and he slowly reached into his maroon jacket to bring out the few coins that he had.

"Is that it?" the other demanded and Athrun nodded cautiously, for the knife still rested against his neck.

"I said I didn't have much money," Athrun reminded him.

The backhand slap came out of the blue. Athrun caught his breath and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the other man. "What was that for?" he demanded, angrily.

"I don't need any lip from a brat like you," the man growled. "My name is Lou Hawke. Heard of me?"

Slowly, Athrun nodded. He knew they were in real trouble now. The Hawke brothers were notorious criminals who wondered across the PLANTS stealing and causing trouble wherever they could. Lately the authorities had been so pre-occupied with events regarding the Earth that they had been neglecting local issues. The Hawkes had taken advantage of that fact. Athrun shot a quick look at Nicol and saw that his friend had recognized the name, too.

"I'm not the best card player in town," Athrun admitted. He could feel color rising in his face as he spoke. "That was a joke between me and my friend."

Shrugging, Lou Hawke raised an eyebrow. "So the joke's on you, kid," he retorted. "Seems like your big mouth's got you into trouble."

"What if I refuse to play?" Athrun asked. The next moment, he got his answer as the brother who stood behind him wrapped an arm around his neck. The knife bit into Athrun's skin once more and he couldn't hide the wince. A trickle of warm blood began to ooze down his skin.

"Kid, let's get something straight," Lou said. "You are going to play cards with me, whatever happens. Right now, my brother has his knife at your throat, but it would only take the blink of an eye for him to cut your friend's throat. Which is it to be?"

Nicol's scared eyes clashed with Athrun's. Athrun tried to send his friend a reassuring look. He couldn't offer anyone's life up to this man. "Leave him alone," Athrun replied. "He hasn't done anything to you."

"I take it that means you're going to play cards with me then," Lou commented, grinning evilly.

Left with no choice, Athrun nodded.

Looking around, Nicol saw the two other men were watching them carefully. Nicol had heard of the Hawke brothers. They were almost famous and Nicol's mother had followed their nefarious career in the newspapers with shameless interest. He wondered how she would deal with the news that he had been held prisoner of that same gang. Not well, he suspected. His mother was fond of stories about criminals, imagining them to be romantic, but she was unable to deal with the nasty realities of life. With a pang, he wondered if he would ever see his mother again.

"Let's play," Lou declared and began to shuffle the cards.

"I can't play if he's standing behind me," Athrun objected. Li Hawke had stepped back, but was still just behind Athrun. "That's cheating."

Gasping in a mixture of fear and admiration at his friend's daring, Nicol felt sure that Athrun had just signed their death warrants. Did Athrun really think that The Hawkes played honestly? He shot a glance at Mr. Miru, and saw that the bar tender was gaping open mouthed at Athrun, seemingly unable to believe what he was hearing.

But Athrun's audacity had amused the thief. "You have a point, kid," he acknowledged. There weren't many men who would have challenged him on this, especially with the blood still tricking down their necks. "Li, step back so you don't see the kid's cards." He gave a wolfish smile. "I wouldn't like for him to think I was cheating."

Swallowing against the dryness in his mouth, Athrun tried to still the shaking of his hands. He knew he had just taken a huge chance, but he couldn't stop himself. If they played fairly, there was always a chance that he might win Nicol and Mr. Miru's freedom. There had been a few occasions when he had won at poker.

The cards went down in front of him, and Athrun picked them up, shielding them with his body as he looked at them. The hand seemed to be all right and he glanced at Lou to see what the next move would be. It hardly seemed worth the other man's efforts to play against someone who only carried a few dollars. Lou threw a dollar into the middle of the table. He raised his eyes to meet Athrun, who read the message there clearly – _bet or you're dead_. He threw in his dollar, too.

* * *

"You think Nicol and Athrun will be back tonight?" Dearka asked, as he flopped down heavily on the bench across from Yzak in the cafeteria. He was feeling particularly tired and was somewhat jealous that Le Crueset had granted Athrun and Nicols' request for a day off. What made them so special? Just because he asked for time off every other week and Athrun never did didn't mean that Athrun was any more entitled to a break than he was right?

"I don't know," Yzak replied, distractedly. He frowned at the table, which was set for five. "Knowing them, they'll be back by nine. We both know how Nicol's afraid of the dark."

"Very true," Dearka commented. "And Athrun's too responsible to do something crazy like get drunk or have a good time."

"Exactly," Yzak groaned. "What a waste of a 24 hour pass. They're probably just sitting around somewhere doing absolutely nothing. Makes me mad just thinking about it."

"Don' think about it," Dearka advised him. "We'll get even with them when they come back. When Rusty gets back from his meeting with the Commander, we'll discuss means of doing so."

"Good advice," Yzak nodded and helped himself to the potatoes prepared by the cafeteria staff.

* * *

"Three of a kind," Athrun said, laying his hand down. A trickle of cold sweat ran down his back. Lou only had a pair. Athrun had won the first hand. Nicol and Mr. Miru were safe.

Meeting his opponent's cold grey eyes, Athrun summoned all his courage. "I won – let Nicol and Mr. Miru go. That's what we agreed."

"We're playing by my rules, kid," Lou reminded him softly. "What I say goes."

"You said you would let them go!" Athrun protested, suddenly furious. He started to rise and the knife blade suddenly pricked him on the back of the neck. Athrun froze, half standing.

"I'll decide," Lou reiterated. He was amused by Athrun's anger and by the young man's obvious concern for the others. That was what made this game so interesting. However, Lou was a shrewd judge of character and he could see that Athrun's anger was about to get the better of him. "But since you ask so nicely, I'll let the fat man go."

Relief warred with disappointment as Athrun met Nicol's eyes again. Nicol was sitting boneless in a chair near the bar. Mr. Miru was aimlessly polishing the same stretch of mahogany over and over again. "Get fatty out of here," Lou ordered one of his brothers and the bar tender was prodded towards the door.

Turning his attention back to the table, Lou sorted out Athrun's winnings. "I'm taking the money you owe me off your winnings, boy," he told Athrun, who had been forced to sign several IOU's. "But look, you still have some cash to carry on with." He slid the money across to Athrun, who looked at it, not touching it. "Pick it up, soldier boy, or your friend gets it."

Glaring across the green baize, Athrun drew the money towards him. He could see Nicol from the corner of his eye; see the gun that was resting on his temple. Athrun swallowed again. His throat was aching and his mouth dry. "Could I get a drink of water?" he asked, trying to make it sound unimportant.

"Water?" scoffed Lou. "You can have a real drink." He gestured. "Bring the beer over," he ordered.

The bottle of beer, barely touched, was placed in front of Athrun. He dragged his gaze away from it and met Lou's eyes once more. His stomach contracted as he guessed what he was expected to do. Grinning, Lou gestured towards the bottle. "Go on, drink," he urged.

"There's no glass," Athrun replied.

Next instant, Athrun's head was drawn savagely backwards and a hand grabbed the bottle and placed it against Athrun's lips. Beer poured down his chin as well as into his mouth and he choked on the strong liquor. Coughing, he was relieved when Li Hawke let go of him. He clutched the edge of the table until he had his breathing back under control, then he looked up once more.

He was reeking of alcohol and his shirt front, jacket and pants were soaked in it. Athrun wiped a hand across his mouth, only imagining what his commanding officers would think when they saw what had become of his uniform. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. "Drink it," Lou ordered. "Or Li will make you."

With a shaking hand, Athrun picked the bottle up.

**TBC**

Well? What did you think? Please let me know. Writing a story about Nicol and Athrun is fun and there aren't very many out there. I really liked Nicol and I thought the two had good chemistry on the show together. Hehehe,

Well, take care!

Until next time!  
Krilyn


	2. Escalation

Hi!

Thank you to my four reviewers! I appreciate it a lot.

As I said, this story will be short (it only is four chapters) but it was certainly fun to write. Thanks again! I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**The Luck of the Draw**

**Chapter #2: Escalation**

He didn't know how much he had drunk, but he felt sick. The beer was coarse and raw and Athrun wasn't a drinker at the best of times. His hands were shaking as he dealt the cards. Athrun knew that the alcohol was affecting him; he hadn't eaten in several hours and he was feeling remarkably tipsy already.

Picking up his hand, Athrun drew in a deep breath before looking at them. They were good – much better than he could have hoped for. Athrun felt his spirits lift slightly. If he could win this hand, then Nicol was safe. After that, it didn't matter. Athrun hoped that before that, Mr. Miru would have alerted the nearby authorities and something would happen to save them. He couldn't imagine what…but the military academy wasn't far…if alerted, surely they would come to their aid… wouldn't they?

Turning his attention back to the cards, Athrun schooled his face to neutrality. He could feel the beer filtering through his system and it was a sensation that he didn't like. His fingers fumbled the pasteboard as he sorted the cards and he almost dropped one. Athrun drew in a deep breath, but it didn't help; he still felt drunk.

Sitting by the bar, Nicol felt his heart drop into his boots. Athrun was clearly being overwhelmed by the amount of alcohol he had been forced to drink and Nicol knew that hope was fading fast. He hoped Mr. Miru would bring help, but he wasn't sure exactly what could be done against four armed men with two hostages. He kept his gaze fixed on Athrun, as though that would somehow lend his friend the necessary strength to carry on.

* * *

"The Hawke brothers?" Rau echoed. He glanced at Miguel and Rusy in disbelief. "They're in the bar on Fraildale dr.?"

"I told you," Mr. Miru panted. "They have Nicol and Athrun and they're making Athrun play cards. If he loses, they're going to kill Nicol. Probably will kill Athrun as well."

Another worried glance passed between the Commander and his two recruits. The Hawkes were known as notorious criminals and incredibly skilled with a gun. Both Rau and Miguel were more than average with a gun but it would be a close call. If it came down to a shoot out, then there was a fair chance that both the hostages would die.

Rau shuddered. If Athrun Zala died as a result of him authorizing his 24 pass into town, he would be held accountable for the boy's death. He'd be the one who would have to confront Patrick Zala and explain to him the circumstances of his only child's death. He wasn't a fool. He knew the consequences and the likely punishment that awaited him should that come to be.

"Rusty, get Dearka and Yzak," Rau ordered soberly. "One way or another, we're going need him." He drew himself up and checked his gun. "Let's go," he suggested and he and Miguel quietly left the office, their faces grim.

* * *

The game went on and Athrun found it harder and harder to concentrate. He blinked, bringing his cards back into focus. He had bet all his money and signed another IOU. Lou was eyeing him, trying to decide if Athrun had a good hand or not. He was holding a full house. It seemed unlikely that the young man sitting opposite him had a better hand than that.

Grinning slightly in anticipation, Lou spread his cards on the table. "Full house," he declared and reached for the pot.

He was astounded when Athrun reached out and stopped him. "Don't you want to see my hand?" Athrun enquired, his words slurring ever so slightly. He laid the cards down. "Royal flush." Athrun couldn't keep the triumph from his voice. He had never had a Royal flush in his life before. A small grin spread over Athrun's face at the look of outrage on the outlaw's face. "I believe that belongs to me," he added, dragging the money towards him.

The crash of Lou Hawke's hand hitting the table made them all jump. Lou was on his feet, looming over Athrun and Li had his hand entwined in Athrun's thick, dark hair, the knife at his throat. "You think you're so clever, don't you, soldier boy," Lou growled.

"Let Nicol go," Athrun replied. His head was pulled back at a painful angle and he was still reeling from the sudden movement. How he wished that folklore was true – that a sudden shock would sober a man. If anything, he felt drunker than he had a few minutes ago. "I won, let Nicol go," he added, gathering his drifting thoughts.

"You forget – we're playing by my rules," Lou corrected Athrun. "I'll say when he gets to go."

"That's not fair!" Athrun protested, his anger fuelled by the drink. "You promised he could go!" Athrun knew he shouldn't be shouting at this man who held all their lives in his hands, but he couldn't seem to control himself. Furious, Athrun smashed his elbow back into Li's midriff and as the man let go of his hair with a surprised grunt, Athrun lunged for Lou.

For an instant, Athrun had the advantage as Lou was unprepared for the attack, but the older man soon rallied. He threw Athrun off and scrambled to his feet, evading Athrun's next lunge with a quick sidestep and both fists crashing down on Athrun's back. Athrun went down and then Li was there, too. Athrun tried to break free, but he had no chance.

Suddenly, there was a shot and Lou straightened. Athrun pushed uselessly at Li's hand, which was slowly throttling the life out of him. "Nobody move!" ordered Rau Le Creuset's voice. "You there, leave that boy alone!"

Darkness was eating at the edges of Athrun's vision as the pressure on his throat increased. Why wasn't anyone doing anything? he wondered. Then the pressure disappeared and Athrun felt himself being dragged to his feet. He gulped in air and blinked, trying to focus.

Standing by the entrance to the bar were Rau le Creuset and Miguel Aiman. Both of them had their guns drawn and aimed at Athrun and the Hawkes. Nicol was crumpled in a heap by the bar, but his eyes were open and he appeared to be unhurt. The other two Hawke brothers were nowhere in sight.

"Looks like we've got us a situation, Commander," Lou commented as Li eased his knife under Athrun's ear. His other arm was wrapped around Athrun's neck. It was then he noticed that the other two Hawke brothers were being held at gunpoint by a couple other soldiers who had come along with the commander. "You want us to let this boy go and I want you to let my brothers go. Who do you think is going to win this stand off?"

That was a question that Rau didn't have an answer to. He knew that if he turned the Hawkes lose, Athrun would die. But if he didn't turn them loose, Athrun would die. He had no idea what to do and he knew that any outcome that involved the death of Patrick Zala's son would be simply unacceptable. "That's up to you," Rau replied, as steadily as he could. "We will not allow you to walk out of here with Athrun Zala."

"Athrun? Zala's boy?" Lou repeated. "Is that your name, kid? I never asked. Doesn't matter to me anyway." He laughed. "I tell you what's going to happen here, Commander. You're going to let my brothers go, or Li will start carving pieces off Athrun. We'll start with a finger… or perhaps a knuckle, shall we?" Lou grabbed Athrun's left hand and held it by the wrist. Li moved the knife down to Athrun's hand, grinning. Athrun began to struggle anew, terrified.

There was no more time to think; Rau had to act. He fired at Lou, catching the oldest Hawke brother high in the chest. For an instant, Lou stood there looking surprised and then he crumpled soundlessly to the floor.

"Lou?" Li gasped. He sounded lost. "Lou?" He swung his head around and glared at Rau. "You killed my brother!" he cried and changed his grip on the still-struggling Athrun. "This kid is going to pay for that!" The knife sliced across Athrun's palm before digging sharply into his throat.

The pain was intense and Athrun gasped. Blood dripped from his hand onto the floor. He knew he was going to die there in the bar. He continued to struggle as hard as he could, but the alcohol was racing through his bloodstream and he was finding it increasingly difficult to coordinate his efforts.

"Do something!" Nicol shouted, distracting Li for a second.

In that second, Miguel acted, shooting at Li, hoping against hope that he wouldn't hit Athrun. In the same instant, Rau fired. Li sensed their movements and stabbed Athrun in the chest as he threw him down, and went for his gun.

He didn't have a chance. Miguel's aim was true and the bullet knocked Li from his feet. Rau wasn't as lucky. His bullet bit into Athrun's left shoulder and knocked him over. Athrun went down and was still. Li crashed over the table where Athrun and Lou had been playing cards and he lay in a heap, groaning.

For another long second, they all were frozen in place, shaken by the sudden violence. Then Nicol moved, scrambling across the floor to kneel by Athrun, horrified by all the blood. As Rau and Miguel moved to take charge of their prisoners, Nicol lifted his head. "Someone get a doctor!" he shouted.

* * *

"I think I might call it an early night," Dearka mumbled and yawned once more.

"It certainly sounds as though you need it," Yzak remarked. "I thought Athrun and Nicol would be back by now."

"Same," Dearka agreed. He smothered another yawn. "Maybe they actually managed to find some hot chicks."

"Heaven forbid!" Yzak exclaimed, holding his hands out in front of him as though fending the suggestion off. "Do you honestly think either of them know anything about girls? I bet they don't know the first thing about showing a girl a good time." He grinned at Dearka, who grinned back.

"We'll have to remedy that," Dearka suggested, a sly smirk gradually making its way onto his face. "Next time we get a 24 hour pass I say we pick up some things for them from the 'special' shop."

Yzak nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

"It doesn't really matter," Dearka replied. "They wouldn't know what any of it was for anyway."

"That's true," Yzak smiled. "Well, good night. Try not to snore ok?"

"I don' think I'll have a problem doing that," Dearka replied. "I could sleep for a week." He kicked off his shoes and watched as Yzak flopped onto the bed across from him.

They were both startled when there was a knock at the door. Yzak sat back up and exchanged a glance with Dearka, who rose to answer it. He was only half way across the floor when the knock was repeated again. Frowning, he sped up his pace to answer it.

It was Rusty.

"Guys, Commander Le Crueset sent me to bring you in to town!" His breathing was heavy, indicating that he had just completed a frantic sprint across the military compound.

"What's wrong?" Dearka asked.

"Athrun and Nicol are in the bar with the Hawke brothers," he panted, relishing the chance to pass along the news. It was only when Dearka's face blanched that he realized that this wasn't the way to tell him the bad news. They all knew about the Hawkes and they all knew what that most likely meant – big trouble.

"Come on, Yzak!" Dearka cried, snatching his shoes and jacket. "Commander's orders!" He paused only long enough to ask if Rusty was coming. The red head nodded and within minutes the three of them were sprinting down towards town.

**TBC**

Nobody panic! Just wait and read on… I shall try to update again by the end of the weekend. Thanks again for taking the time to read this and please review – it's always nice to hear what people have to say.

Until next time,

Kristina


	3. Close Calls

Well, here is chapter 3. Thanks Slightly Sinister for reviewing. You were my only reviewer last time but that's great! Thank you so much! And a BIG thanks for updating u'r story – I love it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed

**The Luck of the Draw**

**Chapter #3: Close Calls**

"Athrun, can you hear me?" The voice seemed to be coming from a long distance away and Athrun wished that whoever it was would go away and leave him alone. Waking up hurt. Even breathing seemed to be very difficult. He groaned and tried to turn away, but there were hands there, holding him still, preventing him from moving.

"Athrun, can you hear me?" the voice repeated and this time Athrun recognized it. It was the town doctor… Doctor Niles. He was the closest public doctor to the military academy and although the academy had its own private doctor, Athrun assumed that there hadn't been time to get him there.

"Doctor?" he whispered, forcing his eyes to open. The room seemed very blurry and Athrun had to blink several times to bring things into focus. "Where…?" he started.

"You're in my surgery," Doctor Niles replied. "Don't try to move, Athrun. Just stay still. Do you remember what happened?"

Allowing his eyes to drift shut, Athrun frowned as he tried to remember. "Cards," he whispered at last, wondering why his mind was so sluggish. Then his eyes opened wide as another memory hit home and he cried, "Nicol!"

"Easy, easy!" Niles soothed. "Athrun, you've got to stay still. Nicol is all right, I promise. Athrun, listen to me. Did you have a drink this afternoon?"

That was it, Athrun thought. "Yeah," he breathed. The pain in his chest was terrible. "Hurts," he added.

"I know it hurts," Niles sympathized. "But, Athrun, this is important. How much did you have to drink?"

"Dunno… ezzacly," Athrun panted. "Drank…bottle. Made to."

"All right," Niles replied. "You rest now, Athrun." He exchanged a worried glance with Rau who was standing near by. Miguel, who had volunteered to help the doctor, was holding Athrun's head still.

Athrun wasn't convinced and he needed to know something for certain before he rested. "Nicol?" he asked again feebly.

"He's fine Athrun," Niles soothed. He watched as Athrun's eyes drifted shut once more, then rose and beckoned Rau quietly out of earshot. "I can't wait any longer, Sir," he told his friend. "I'm going to have to operate."

"What difference does the drink make?" Rau wanted to know.

"If you have alcohol in your bloodstream, you bleed more easily," Niles replied. "Athrun has lost a lot of blood as it is. The operation could be tricky; I don't really want him to lose more blood if I can help it." He drew in a deep breath and straightened his spine. "Still, I know what I'm facing now." He put a hand on Rau's shoulder. "You sent for some of your recruits right? When they get here I would advice that you don't let them in, all right?"

"I'll do my best," Rau agreed. "But no promises."

They exchanged a bleak smile and then Niles went back into the surgery to prepare to remove the knife from Athrun's chest.

Fear ate at the three ZAFT soldiers throughout the journey to town. When they finally reached the bar, they were astounded to see that it was in darkness. Wide-eyed, Yzak looked over at Dearka, not sure where to go next. What did the deserted bar mean?

"The commander'll know," Dearka replied to the unspoken question.

"The commander," Rusty agreed before frowning. "And where do you think he is?"

At that moment, the three heard a faint cry and the sound of footsteps coming towards them fast.

"Yzak! Dearka! Rusty!" It was Nicol. The boy looked awful. His hair was messy, his uniform torn and he stunk of alcohol. "They took Athrun to Doctor Niles!"

"Athrun?" Rusty swallowed. "How bad is he…"

"He was alive last I saw," Nicol replied, breathless.

The words weren't any comfort. "He was hurt then." Rusty whispered, the color draining from his face.

"I'm afraid so," Nicol answered, shame written all over his face.

Not waiting to ask any further questions that Nicol wouldn't be able to answer, the four simply turned on their heels, heading over to Doctor Niles private hospital. Rusty met Nicol's eyes for a moment and the two boys communed silently, oneoffering sympathy, while the other's flashed painful guilt. No words were spoken from then on as they rushed to the doctor's as fast as they could.

Rau almost wasn't quick enough to prevent the four from bursting into the surgery. "Don't," he urged, catching Yzak, who was the first into the room, by the shoulders. "The doctor said you had to wait here."

If Miguel hadn't been there, Rau would never have prevailed. Rau was strong but the four boys, distraught by the knowledge that one of their friends was hurt, were stronger. It was Miguel who managed to grab and hold onto Nicol and Dearka while Rau held the other two.

"You can't go in there," Miguel declared, putting his body between the other ZAFT recruits and the door. "We do what the doctor says and wait out here."

"Athrun…" Nicol muttered.

"I know, Nicol, but sit down, huh?" Rusty bit his lip and coaxed the upset boy into a chair. "Rau, what can ya tell us?" he asked and Yzak, Dearka and Rusty's attention all fastened on Rau.

"Athrun and Nicol were in the bar playing cards," Rau began. "The Hawke brothers came in and made Athrun play Lou at poker. If Athrun won, Mr. Miru and Nicol would live. If he lost…" Rau didn't need to complete the sentence. Rusty's dark eyes were riveted on his commander's face. "Athrun won the first hand and Mr. Miru was let go. He came to get us. When we got there, it seemed that Athrun had won again, and Lou didn't take too kindly to it. We got two of the brothers out, but Lou and Li had Athrun as a hostage. We shot Lou, but Li managed to…stab Athrun before Miguel shot him." Rau looked shame-faced. "My bullet hit Athrun."

The boys were thunderstruck. "How bad is he?" Yzak demanded.

"He's not good," Rau admitted. "The doctor is operating as we speak." He swallowed, wondering about what Patrick would say if Athrun didn't make it. "The knife went in real deep. Lou had made Athrun drink some beer straight from the bottle. Doctor Niles was a bit worried about that," he added, trying to play it down.

"How long has he been operating on Athrun?" Dearka asked, his eyes going to the clock. The time – 8.30pm – meant nothing to him.

"About an hour," Rau admitted.

"An hour…" Rusty repeated, numbly.

"He's been with Athrun an hour," Miguel corrected him. "That doesn't mean he's been operating all this time." Miguel wasn't sure that he believed his own argument, but if it gave the other boys a moment of peace, it was worth it.

"Of course, I never thought of that," Rusty agreed. "I'm sorry, Commander. I didn't mean to jump all over you."

"I understand," Rau replied, relieved that Miguel had stepped in once more. The waiting was torture for him – how much worse must it be for the boys? To know that one of their own had been assaulted and possibly dying.

Another half hour passed before the inner door opened and Niles came out. He didn't look surprised to see all six of them waiting. "Better come in," he told them and Rau's heart felt as if it had stopped. Depending on what the doctor had to say, he would have to consider the best way to break the news to Patrick. He rose and followed the physician.

Athrun lay on the bed, the cover drawn up to his chin and his face was almost as white as the sheet. Rau hurried to his side, touching Athrun to reassure himself that the boy was alive and simply asleep. "Athrun?" he whispered, but there was no movement from the figure on the bed. He glanced up at Niles. "How is he?"

"He's weak, but I think he'll be all right," Niles replied. "He has lost a tremendous amount of blood and I just hope infection hasn't set in." He sat down heavily and Rau became aware of how tired Niles looked. "Athrun was stabbed in his right upper chest," Niles began. He drew back the blanket slightly to let all of them see the bandages swathing Athrun's chest. "His lung wasn't affected, luckily. The knife went in at an oblique angle. Athrun lost a lot of blood when I removed the knife, but the damage could have been worse. The bullet that hit him shattered his collar bone and I had to remove some fragments of bone along with the bullet. Again, Athrun bled a lot, but he is stable at the moment."

"Why did he bleed so much?" Nicol asked, his eyes drawn back to the still figure lying before him.

"Did the Commander tell you that Lou made him drink from a bottle of beer?" Niles asked. "When people are drunk, they bleed more. He also had a deep knife wound on the palm of his left hand which required stitches."

"Will he be all right?" Rusty dared to inquire.

Hesitating for a moment, Niles finally nodded. "I hope so," he answered, cautiously.

"When will we know?" Yzak demanded harshly. If he knew the risks, he could prepare to fight the odds.

"By morning, most likely," Niles replied. "If infection is going to set in, it most probably will have by then."

"What can we do for him?" Nicol wanted to know.

"Let him sleep," Niles replied. "If he starts to run a temperature, keep him cool." He gave the six ZAFT soldiers a sharp look. "I can look after Athrun…"

"I'm not leaving," Nicol declared determinedly.

"Nor me," Rusty added and Yzak and Dearka also nodded in agreement.

"No surprise there then," Niles remarked, a smile softening his tired face. "In that case, I'm going to catch a few hours sleep. If you need me for any reason, shout."

"We will," Rau replied, once more bending over Athrun. He stroked the hair back off the boy's pale forehead and he could have sworn that Athrun nestled into the touch of his hand. The boy desperately needed a parental figure. A mother or father to hold him but alas neither was available. "Hang in there," Rau whispered. "We still need you with us."

Stirring slightly, Athrun wondered why he hurt so much. His mind felt fuzzy and his head was throbbing. His stomach wasn't too comfortable, either, he thought queasily. In fact… Athrun opened his eyes and squinted against the low light coming from a nearby lamp. He didn't immediately recognize the room he was in, but that was of no importance at that moment. He saw six figures sitting by the bed, dozing. "Commander," he gasped, hoarsely.

Jolted out of the light doze he had been in, Rau opened his eyes and saw Athrun looking at him anxiously. He smiled, leaning closer to touch Athrun's uninjured shoulder with a reassuring hand. "Athrun. How are you feeling?"

"Gonna be…sick," Athrun mumbled, trying not to open his mouth too far. He hoped someone would hurry, because if he didn't Athrun wasn't sure he could hold on any longer.

But the ZAFT men were prepared. All now awake, Nicol snatched up the basin lying at his feet and helped Athrun lean over as he vomited helplessly. At last, the spasms were over and Athrun lay down, feeling Rau wiping his face with a cool, damp cloth. He felt dreadful and his chest hurt so much. What was wrong with him? He forced his eyes open once more and was met with the reassuring warm gaze from each of his friends as well as his commanding officer. "I don't feel too good," he whispered hoarsely.

"I'm not surprised," Dearka remarked, trying to sound cheerful. Athrun was a bit sweaty, but that was as a result of throwing up, not of fever. "You never could hold your liquor. Do you remember what happened?"

Closing his eyes again for a moment, Athrun thought about it. "The bar," he whispered. His mouth was horribly dry. "I'm thirsty." He opened his eyes again to see Yzak hand Rau a glass of water. "Hi,Yzak."

"Hi yourself," Yzak grunted, trying to keep the concern from his eyes.

Lifting Athrun's head, Rau helped him to drink. The cool water was soothing and comforting and for a few minutes, Athrun felt a bit better, but then his headache started throbbing again. He tried to move to a more comfortable position, but his body hurt too much to allow him to complete the movement. He couldn't repress a groan.

"Take it easy," Rau soothed. "You were hurt, Athrun. Plus, I expect you've got a hangover."

"The alcohol," Athrun groaned. "I hate beer." He snagged Rau's gaze. "Sir, is Nicol all right?" he demanded.

"I'm fine," Nicol answered at once and Athrun relaxed.

"What happened to me?" Athrun asked. "Why am I so sore?" Again he tried to move and another groan escaped.

Bodily lifting Athrun, Rau helped him settle in a different position and turned the pillow over so that Athrun was resting on the cool side. "Better?" he asked and Athrun nodded. "You were stabbed by Li Hawke," Rau explained.

"I remember that – sort of," Athrun recalled. He tried to glance down at himself, but the movement caused his head to spin and a shaft of pain shot through his broken collar bone.

"When Rau and Miguel were saving you, Rau accidentally shot you," Rusty added. Now that he knew Athrun was going to be all right, Rusty felt desperately sorry for his Commander. The shooting was an accident and he knew how his Commander felt about each of them. "The bullet shattered your collar bone."

"Guess that explains it," Athrun murmured.

"I guess it does," Rusty smiled nervously. "Are you in a lot of pain, Athrun?"

"A bit," Athrun admitted. "You were right about the hangover, Sir." His eyes squeezed shut again. "My mouth tastes like Yzak's socks smell."

There was an indignant splutter from Yzak, but the rest of them couldn't repress a smile. Athrun might be feeling bad, but that jest was more telling than any medical diagnosis that his boy's life wasn't in danger.

"That bad?" Rau asked, sounding shocked and winked at Yzak who faked being insulted.

"That bad," Athrun agreed, suddenly exhausted. He sighed, his injuries paining him.

"Drink this, Athrun," Rau told him, lifting his head and offering the painkiller that Niles had left in case Athrun should need it.

Making a face at the first taste, Athrun nevertheless drank it down and gradually slipped into an awkward sleep as the pain faded away. Rau held his hand until he was sure Athrun was sleeping again. He raised his eyes and met the other boys' and they smiled at each other. It looked as though Athrun was going to be just fine.

**TBC**

No, that's not the end. One more chapter to go! Please stick around to read it ok?

Until next time,

Krilyn


	4. Flip of a Card

Hi!

Thanks for reading everyone! And thank you to my two reviewers! Heheheh! It's nice to know someone is reading this.

**Ok, the website won't let me use the 'breaks' in the pages so i am just going to write "break" where there is meant to be one. Sorry about that but there is nothing else i can do.**

Well it's another story finished but I hope you enjoyed it

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gundam Seed.

**Luck of the Draw**

**Chapter #4: On the Flip of a Card**

Over the next 24 hours, Athrun steadily improved, although he slept a good deal of the time. He was very weak from loss of blood and made no noises about getting back to the academy and into his own bed. The other boys had returned to the academy. All except Nicol and, of course, Rau Le Crueset.

They managed to get Athrun on his feet for a short while the following day, but he was very shaky and relieved to lie down again. His left arm was encased in a sling to ease the pressure on his collarbone and Athrun found it was easier when he held his right arm across his body, too. "I'm wearing more bandages than a mummy," he complained as Doctor Niles gently bound up his chest again. He had been checking his handiwork and was pleased with the way the knife wound was healing.

"You must be getting better," Niles remarked. "You're complaining."

Smiling, Athrun met the doctor's laughing gaze. "But I'm obviously not complaining enough," he retorted. "You still won't let me go back to the academy."

"You've got that right," Niles agreed. "You're not well enough for that. Give it another few days and you should be up to the trip."

"It's only been two days, Athrun," Nicol chided him gently.

"I know," Athrun sighed. "I just want things to go back to normal." He tried very hard not to sound as if he was whining.

"Soon," Niles replied.

**BREAK**

There was a knock on the surgery door as Niles eased Athrun back onto a pile of pillows. Rau went to answer it as Athrun laid his head down for a moment. It was the police. "Come in," Rau offered, surprised to see that the authorities had come so quickly.

His face paled. Perhaps Patrick Zala had found out about what had happened.

But they hadn't been expecting the man who trailed the officer into the room –Li Hawke. Athrun gaped at him, fear clenching his insides, even though Li was in handcuffs.

"What's he doing here?" Rau demanded, seeing the distress in Athrun and Nicol's eyes.

"I brought him," The officer replied imperiously. "Athrun Zala, do you recognize this man?"

"Yes," Athrun whispered. "Li Hawke."

"How do you know him?" The policeman persisted.

"He held me hostage two days ago at the bar a few blocks from here," Athrun replied, his voice stronger. "He held a knife to my throat." The cuts on Athrun's throat had been superficial, no worse than if he'd cut himself shaving. "He tried to kill me."

"That's all I needed to know," The officer nodded. "Thank you, Athrun." He turned and led the way out of the door.

Li paused, looking down at Athrun. He gave the familiar, wolfish grin. "You're in some state, boy," he commented. The officer, annoyed, tugged on his arm and the bigger man simply tugged his arm free and before anyone could move, he was over by Athrun, dragging the injured boy up by the throat. "Nobody do anything stupid," he ordered.

"Let him go!" Rau ordered, his calm voice belying the fear that gripped his belly. "You're not doing yourself any favors with this display."

"If it gets me out of here, its doing me enough," Li replied. "Commander, get the handcuffs off me."

For a moment, Rau hesitated and Li began to squeeze.

Athrun choked.

The officer nodded, handing the ZAFT commander the keys and Rau walked forward. His hands shook as he unlocked the handcuffs and removed them. Li was grinning again. "Now, put them on the boy here."

"That's cruelty!" Niles thundered. "Athrun is injured!"

"Do it!" Li ordered, squeezing again. Rau swallowed and did as he was told. When he was finished, Li removed one large hand from Athrun's throat and shoved both Nicol and Rau to the floor. "Now get out of my way, because I'm leaving here."

"No!" The police officer protested and made a move towards Li, who simply pushed him out of the way. He dragged Athrun to his feet, looking momentarily surprised when Athrun sagged, but not allowing that to stop him. He wrapped one arm around Athrun's neck and began to drag the injured, handcuffed young man after him as he backed towards the door.

"I'm leaving and if nobody moves, I might leave this boy outside. Anyone follows me and I'll take him apart bit by bit. Is that clear?" He shook Athrun slightly as if to emphasis the point and Athrun groaned. Everyone froze in place, watching in horror.

As Li backed away, Rau became aware of someone in the outer office behind the criminal. He bit his tongue, not knowing who it was and afraid of doing something that would put Athrun's life in more jeopardy than it already was. And then the person moved slightly and Rau realized that he knew who it was.

It was Patrick Zala himself!

There was no time to formulate a plan, no time to wonder what he ought to do. Patrick simply put his hands on Li's shoulders, wrenching his arm from around Athrun's throat and whirled the man around. With two efficient punches, he laid the man on the floor.

For a moment, the group in the office was kept frozen, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Then Nicol moved. "Athrun!" He dived forward to kneel beside his friend, who was lying on the floor groaning in pain. Seconds later, Doctor Niles was by his side, urging Athrun to lie still while he checked him over.

"Get those handcuffs off him!" Patrick cried and Rau hurried over, the keys in his hands once more.

As Rau put the handcuffs back on Li, Patrick hurried over to look down anxiously at Athrun. "Athrun, son, are you all right?" he asked gruffly.

Opening his eyes, Athrun tried to smile. "Father…I'm sorry…thank you." he panted. The pain radiating through his chest and shoulders was taking his breath away.

"Nicol, you help get Li back to the jail," Patrick suggested. "The doctor and I will take care of Athrun." He barely spared a glance for the police officer. He would make sure that man never served on a police force again.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Sir," Rau said, when Athrun was once more on the bed and Niles was tending to him. "I never dreamed anything like this would happen when I gave him the 24 hour pass."

Although the temptation to lay all the blame on the Commander was strong, Patrick resisted. "It wasn't your fault," he replied, a mild irritation slipping into his voice. "You should have told me about this though. Do you know how disturbing it was to find out from Yzak's mother? The boy told his mom who promptly told me. I got here as fast as I could and I'm pleased to see that Athrun is not dead. I want the men who attacked my son punished."

"Yes, Sir," Rau agreed. "The Hawkes killed enough people to warrant the death penalty and any pleas for clemency will not be accepted."

"I'm pleased to hear that," Patrick replied, with a barely controlled savagery. He nodded to the commander and went to bend over Athrun.

There was indeed no doubt about the verdict. The Hawke brothers were condemned to death while Athrun drifted in a drug-induced slumber. He had been lucky, and none of his injuries had been aggravated by his rough treatment. He had some more bruises and his throat was sore, but essentially, he was no worse off.

By the next afternoon, Athrun had rallied and was once more trying to persuade Niles to let him go back to the academy. He was still weak, but beginning to regain his strength. He had managed to stay awake for a good portion of the day and had enjoyed a short visit from Nicol.

"All right!" Niles laughed, putting his hands up. "If you're feeling all right tomorrow, I'll let you go back. Anything to stop you complaining!"

Grinning broadly, Athrun turned to look at Nicol. "Did you hear that? You won't have that room to yourself much long at the academy."

"That's great. It's kind of lonely there without you," Nicol nodded before he paused and turned to the doctor. "Are you sure, Doctor Niles?"

"There's nothing more I can do for him here," Niles replied. "He just needs time now – time to heal. Give him a couple of months, and he'll never know there was anything wrong with him."

As Niles went off to do some other things, Nicol sat down by Athrun's bed. "Well, that is good news, isn't it?" he commented.

"Sure is," Athrun agreed, sleepily. "You know, Nicol, I think it'll be a long time before I want to play poker again, even if it's just with you."

"I can understand that," Nicol replied. He continued, watching as his friend's eyelids dropped sleepily.

"You know what?" Athrun murmured, just remembering. "I had a Royal flush." He forced his eyes open and was gratified to see the look on Nicol's face. "I never had one of those before."

"I guess it was just the luck of the draw," Nicol replied. He thought that it was the luck of the draw that had saved their lives. He shuddered to think that their lives had depended upon the turn of a card.

How lucky they all had been.

**The End.**

Well, I really enjoyed writing this one. It's probably my favorite story so far hehehehe. I think that in many ways, Patrick Zala did care about Athrun – you can see it in the beginning of the series.

Well, I'm going to work on _Affronted Affections_ for a while now and after that one is complete I will start the sequel to _Abhorrence_ as promised.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Krilyn


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